Department turns to methadone to fight opiate addiction.

People who use heroin and other strong opiates have resisted all efforts so far to get off drugs, so authorities have turned to the controversial 'cure' of methadone.

23 Feb 2017

Thailand has introduced a harm reduction programme to combat national drug issues after punitive measures failed to stop people suffering from drug-related problems.

The country declared a war on drugs more than 10 years ago which focused on corrective policy including legal measures, penalties and crackdowns.

The so-called "war" was never won, however, as the number of prisoners getting caught abusing drugs has not dropped.

Thailand has one of the world's highest prison population rates; about 70% of prisoners are incarcerated for drug-related offences.

Department of Narcotics Litigation deputy director-general Jitnara Nawarat said Thailand is "seeing the light at the end of the tunnel" as it has now implemented harm redcution strategies to tackle drug problems.

"A prison is not a place where substance users come to receive drug therapy treatment," he said.

"Under harm reduction programme, they are urged to come out to see health personnel who can give them care."

The CSTF is a joint initiative of the New York and Vienna NGO Committees on Drugs. To support preparations for the 2019 Ministerial Segment, to be held at the 62nd Session of CND, Global Civil Society Hearings are being held in New York (20th February 2019) and Vienna (26th February 2019).

This event will launch Harm Reduction International's latest report on this issue and discuss how abolishing the death penalty for drug offemnces could serve as an entry point for broader abolition efforts.